Wildlife vs Garden
I like to keep our garden as wildlife-friendly as possible, but it’s always a bit of a balancing act. In some ways, making it wildlife-friendly is easy — I could simply leave more of it to grow wild and give myself fewer chores. But then it looks messy, gets out of control, and… well, I am something of a control freak!
Instead, I try to find a balance: letting it do its own thing while still keeping it looking nice. That’s actually harder than having it completely ordered. Sometimes I just have to accept that caterpillars will decimate a plant or tree, and be fine with it. Other times I let weeds run rampant, or leave flowers and seed heads untouched so the birds can enjoy them, and to make sure there are plenty of native “weeds” for the wildlife. Even our soft fruit tends to end up as food for the birds and slugs rather than for us!
Eventually though, I do need to hack things back and get the garden under control before it takes over completely — which often ends up being harder work than just staying on top of it.
It seems to work, though. Our garden has become a little oasis for wildlife in Ynyslas. There aren’t many “mature” gardens here with trees and shrubs — most are just fairly sterile lawns. The birds certainly appreciate the shelter, and they love the water feature too. They’re often splashing about in the clear water, shaking droplets everywhere as they ruffle their feathers. And there are bugs everywhere for them to eat. This year seems to have been especially good for insects. Our birch tree was practically stripped bare by caterpillars, which munched through half its leaves before pupating in the nooks of sheds and walls, ready to emerge as moths and butterflies.
The pond has been lively too. Honeybees crowd its edges in spring to collect water. Beetles and bugs scurry across the surface, midges and other insects hatch out of it, and dragonflies and damselflies skim above it. And now, there’s even an amphibian. I’m pretty sure it’s a Common Frog. I’ve only seen the one so far, but hopefully he or she will attract some friends.
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I’m sure all the bugs etc loved having such a haven this summer .Pond looks lovely . Trudi and I hsve been cleaning, clearing out and restocking the school s pond which is beginning to look much better but a long way from looking like yours